Vintage Fisher Price Pop-Up Kritters..And Me

In case anyone is wondering why I love vintage Fisher Price toys more than any other brand, perhaps this picture will clarify it. I found the picture in a box of old stuff when we cleaned out my mother’s house. That’s me in the highchair in 1943 (OK so now you know how OLD I am). On the tray in front of me is a #440 Pop-Up Pluto made from 1936 through 1942 by Fisher Price. I wish I still had it.

Fisher Price made several of these Pop-Up Kritters in the 1930s. Some of them are so incredibly rare that I’ve never even seen them in person. However, I have managed to snag a few of them.

Here are some of my Favorites

#400 Tailspin Tabby made in 1931

Tailspin Tabby Came with a Poem:
Tailspin Tabby is my name
Action is my Claim to Fame
Who Can resist my tail to twist
To pass me up would be a shame
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#405 Lofty Lizzy made in 1931

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#407 Stoopy Storky made in 1931

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#410 Dizzy Dino made in 1931
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#415 Lop-Ear Looie made in 1934

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#433 Dizzy Donkey made in 1939

Most of these toys were assembled on a "guitar" shaped paddle as shown in my pictures.  A very few were also mounted on a round "banjo" shaped paddle.  These are worth a small fortune.  I managed to get my hands on a banjo paddle once....just the paddle...no Kritter was attached to it.  Someone offered me $300 for just the paddle.  Like a fool, I accepted his offer.  All of these Kritters were constructed of beads connected by a kind of fishing string.  The strings were secured by two metal rings.  You put your fingers through the rings to loosen or tighten the strings.  This made the Kritters "dance".